Reynolds Has Quit Representing His Community Already

"You can't discuss race in Chicago," explained soon-to-be-former Rep. Mel Reynolds last weekend to CNN's international audience. "If you do, you'll be relegated to the fringes."

Less than two minutes into his interview with Larry King, Reynolds started beefing that bias and lack of racial balance in local media were responsible for his recent convictions on sex charges and obstruction of justice. "It (coverage) is not very representative of the community," he charged. "In fact, it is absolutely appalling what goes on in Chicago."

Well, before I risk relegating myself to the fringes, allow me to quote a few other voices on this delicate issue:

Voice One: "Here is a man who obviously engaged in sexual misconduct, who got elected because he seemed to be above injecting race into every issue, and now he's using race as his excuse. It's very disrespectful to his constituents."

Voice Two: "Reynolds . . . wants to play the race card and obscure the real reasons why he (was prosecuted). . . . (The courts should) not let a Machiavellian congressman con his way back from under the rocks that he must have come."

Voice Three: "The media made Mel Reynolds. This story has nothing to do with race. I don't know what the state's attorney could have done other than what he did."

Voice Four: "It's time to silence the mantra that Mel Reynolds was prosecuted and convicted . . . because he is a high-profile and successful African-American. . . . To excuse illegal acts by black leaders is to tolerate the same double standard that shackled Africans and brought them to America as slaves. . ."

Voice Five: "For the good of the people and in the name of decency, he must go now!"

Voice Six: "Perhaps the word `ironic' is inadequate to fully capture the symmetrical reversals and odd parallels in Reynolds' tragic tale; the words `poetic justice' do a better job."

Voice Seven: "It is the good fortune of most of the (adult males who have sex with teenage girls) that they are not black Democratic congressmen. So they don't attract the zealous attention of a white, suburban-bred, politically ambitious Republican state's attorney."

Voice Eight: "The Reynolds case is a mess-a toxic mess. It never should have gotten this far. . . . Does anyone believe that justice is being served in this spectacle?"

Rowe, Kelley, Washington and Muwakkil are African-American; the Standard and the Defender (the only publication, I believe, to use exclamation marks in demanding Reynolds resignation) are black-oriented papers.

The contrary voices, seven and eight, belong to Caucasian columnist Mike Royko of the Tribune and the editorial board of the mostly white-managed Chicago Tribune.

Reynolds' charge that the media poorly represent "the community" happens to be nonsense in this instance. "The community" thinks Reynolds is a lying and disgraceful creep-both Kelley and Rowe said the overwhelming majority of their African-American callers say so.

Yet broadly speaking, the issue Reynolds raised-the Chicago media's coverage of and sensitivity to matters of particular relevance to blacks and other minorities-is worth talking about in a critical and constructive way. Where do we fall short? What are the realistic solutions?

"This really does need to be addressed," said Rowe. "It's a shame he brought it up just to try to cover his butt. He only made it easier on people who don't want to deal with the realities."

In truth, you can discuss race in Chicago and remain in the fray. Only when you exploit it do you relegate yourself and the issue to the fringes.